Books: The Clothbound Collectibles

The rare-book dealer and his customer have long been favorite subjects
of painters. Musty, refined, the dilettantes gaze out from the works of
artists from Daumier to Norman Rockwell, echoes of a time when
collectors were more interested in pages than profits. The echoes are
growing fainter by the week. Today, Ye Olde Booke Shoppe is likely to
be mistaken for Ye Stocke Exchange. Dusty volumes have become hot
commodities. New York City Dealer Raymond Wapner finds the upswing
encouraging: "It's about time we came to terms...